


Isn’t She Lovely?

by Lunarium



Series: Sheith New Years 2019 [3]
Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Children, F/F, F/M, Family, Forgiveness, Healing, M/M, Mpreg, Not Epilogue Compliant, Post-Canon, Reunions, Sheith New Years, Trans Keith (Voltron), Trans Male Character
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-01-04
Updated: 2019-01-04
Packaged: 2019-10-03 22:19:30
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,461
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17292491
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lunarium/pseuds/Lunarium
Summary: Keith and Shiro head to Earth to welcome their second child, but returning to Earth also means facing Shiro’s family.





	Isn’t She Lovely?

**Author's Note:**

> Title comes from the Stevie Wonder song of the same name! 
> 
> Many thanks to [Genesister](https://archiveofourown.org/users/papirini/pseuds/Genesister) for looking this over! <3

He didn’t want this moment to end: resting back comfortably, the Atlas on cruise drive, the love of his life in his arms, fast asleep. Across from them little Sven snoozed against Kosmo; one little leg dangled from the bunker, a toe brushing against the plush doll Shiro himself had sewn. A Slav-like plush. It was Keith’s idea, mostly because the design would be simple enough. Little did Shiro know their son’s namesake had known a Slav in his reality. 

“What else happened in that reality?” Shiro had teased Keith back then. “This Sven seemed to have really caught your eye. A crush?” 

Keith had scoffed. “I was going mad because I couldn’t find you. And then we run into this guy who looks so much like you; I was taken aback.” 

Shiro smiled and gingerly slid out of bed, careful not to disturb his husband. Keith instinctively draped one arm over his pregnant belly, and Shiro placed a soft kiss before crossing the distance, picking up the plush, and placing it next to Sven so he wouldn’t be sad when he woke up. Then he tucked Sven’s leg back over the edge of the bed and covered him in a blanket. 

“Captain?” Romelle appeared at the door. “Allura says we’re ready.” 

Shiro nodded. “Sorry I’m lingering here. I’m just worried for them.” 

Romelle cocked her head to one side to study everyone and her eyes went bright. “I can watch over them for you!” 

Shiro smiled. “Thank you.” 

The door to the bridge slid open; Veronica and Acxa were speaking in hushed voices. From the corner of his eye he thought there was a kiss but he pretended he hadn’t just stepped into a private moment. 

Veronica coughed and quickly resumed her position at the her station. 

“Good morning, Captain,” she said. 

Shiro shared a nod with Acxa and bid them both a good morning, hoping he hadn’t come in at a bad time. 

Allura’s voice came over the comms as he placed his hands over the controls. “Ready to wormhole whenever you are, Shiro.” 

Shiro smiled. “Ready. Let’s go home.” 

One child born in the cosmos. One child born on Earth. That was the plan Keith and Shiro had made on building their family.

*

Krolia was there waiting for them, as were Matt, and Pidge and Hunk with their mechanical son Chip. Krolia was already on Earth along with Kolivan and the rest of the Blades, as they were there for a meeting with the Garrison.

They were greeted with bows and handshakes, and hugs from closer friends. Shiro kept close to Keith, protectively not letting anybody’s overly excited mood be the cause of harm. Sven hopped next to them, curious at all the crowd, but Romelle was ready to grab his hand to keep him from darting off. 

“Yes, it **is** an amazing planet!” Romelle said excitedly. “I’m going to take you to the movies! We can watch an animated film together—humans are so creative—they make their art **move** on screen!—oh! But I did say I would take Tavo with me to the cinema.” 

Tavo chuckled behind her. “I’ll watch an animated movie.” 

Keith and Shiro shared a little smile at the other couple next to them before reaching the next greeters among the crowd. 

Shiro’s smile disappeared completely. 

Keith went silent at the man before them. The other paladins beside them also grew quiet. Even without knowing the full story, the sudden change in atmosphere in the air drew everything into dead silence. Even Romelle’s eyes widened, sensing danger, and she gently squeezed Sven’s hand as if to beg him to stop jumping. 

“Oh. Hello, Dad,” Shiro said darkly. 

Keith turned from Shiro to his father and then quickly coughed before giving a short bow, as slow as his large belly would allow him. He had spoken with General Hayato Shirogane just once: when he was making the rounds checking-in with all the Garrison facilities around the globe. That was several years ago, before they had left on their fateful voyage to battle Honerva. He had asked Keith about Shiro, asked if he was feeling better. Keith wouldn’t say Shiro had been cured from his muscle degeneration illness; he would never divulge such private information without Shiro’s consent, even to his own father, but he wasn’t prepared to hear such concern from the man’s voice. 

“And how is he? He had broken up with that nice man before he went on that mission. We thought he died, and then years later we hear he’s still alive. Is he at least happy? Tell him I am glad he’s well. Please.” 

At that time Keith understood why Shiro had appointed him with contacting the other Garrison facilities instead of him. When Shiro had later thanked him before they were the last to file out of the meeting, Keith had wanted to share what his father had said but had decided against it. 

“Nice to meet you, General Shirogane,” Keith said as politely as he could to make up for his husband’s coldness. 

The General turned to Keith. Though much older but just as tall and mighty in appearance, with a few wrinkles under his eyes, and his hair greying with white streaks, General Shirogane’s resemblance to Shiro was striking. When he smiled, the crow’s feet grew more pronounced. 

“You must be Keith, yes?” he said. “I remember speaking with you years ago. I always remember the name of everyone I meet, even if it’s only their voice.” 

“Why are you here?” Shiro demanded instantly, the chill in his voice rippling through the crowd. Sensing the distress in his father’s tone, Sven broke away from Romelle’s hand and ran over to them; Kosmo curled himself, sheltering Sven between Keith’s legs and himself. Krolia came up behind Shiro. 

The growing circle around the family did not faze the General. Noticing Sven, he smiled.

“Is that my grandson?” he asked. “What’s his name?” 

**“Why are you here?”** Shiro repeated, frowning. 

“To take you to the meeting with General Hawkins, of course!” he said. “And can I not see my own son? We thought you had died! Can you imagine our relief when we learned you were alive, but then we never heard from you!” 

“I’m sure that disappointed you, as I always do.” 

“What? No, no! Takashi—please, let us sit down and discuss this! I’ve ordered limos for everyone. If there’s anything else you need, I’ll do it! Your mother and Akane are also here. They all want to see you!” 

Something stirred in Shiro’s face. 

“Akane?”

*

Aunt Akane was so…well, so **cool!** Keith could see why Shiro liked her. Even Krolia stayed around to speak with her and her wife Yuuna. She couldn’t have been any more different from General Shirogane: all spiky-hair, leather-jacket, and wild makeup around her eyes. **And** she rode a custom-built hoverbike.

They split into three limos, with most of the paladins following Akane and her wife in one and Keith and Shiro boarding another with his father. Krolia saved the tense mood in the limo by bonding with Takara, praising her on such a good son as Takara in turn praised her on all the good deeds she had heard about Keith. 

“I’m afraid I can’t be credited,” Takara said after Krolia praised how polite Shiro was. “That was all Hayato’s father. Takashi left us long ago and went to live with his grandfather Ryou.” 

Keith’s hand clenched over his knee. Kosmo perked his head up from the seat across, and his tail twitched as if considering whether he should tele-switch around a few passengers between the limos. 

“If it weren’t for Grandpa Ryou, I wouldn’t have gotten the encouragement to seek the stars,” Shiro said. “Reading about that mission to Jupiter on my first evening in his house changed me. I felt I could finally be someone. On my following birthday, he got me my first telescope. 

“…Of course, I always seemed to do better when faced with opposition. My father thought anything I did wasn’t enough, and Adam didn’t think I could survive the Kerberos mission. Maybe I just needed a few enemies along the way.” He glared at his parents. 

General Shirogane frowned, and Takara regarded her son with sadness. 

“Your father can be tough,” Takara agreed. “He wanted to see you succeed. Did he go too far? Yes. You know I never approved of your father’s words! I did not think it was appropriate to push someone so young!” 

“It isn’t fair to blame your mother for this…and, Takashi, I am **proud** of you,” General Shirogane said. “I know you don’t think I feel that way. I wanted to see you at the very top. I wouldn’t accept a single wrong mark any test because I knew you could do better! Your mother was more forgiving to mistakes, but I was different. I saw greatness in you and wanted it to shine! But I was an idiot in how I went about it.”

“You’re trying to appeal on my good side **now**?” Shiro’s voice hitched, and Keith flinched, at the mix of rage and tears about to burst. “Grandpa Ryou gave up the last of his savings—the last of his own medical coverage—so I could get into the Garrison because he knew their medical advancements would help my situation! **I** was the reason he went to the grave! How does that make you feel?”

Silence rippled through the limo. Krolia furrowed her brow as she watched the conversation unfold, but she said nothing. Sven pressed against Keith’s hip, trembling. Keith brought his arm around him to placate him; Sven squeezed his Slav plush in turn. 

General Shirogane regarded his son, but no anger flitted through his eyes. 

“Takashi…you’re…you’re beyond excellence, beyond anything anyone could have ever imagined. You’ve broken all records but even more: the stories we’ve heard! Dad sacrificed so much for you. He was a better father than I could never be, and for that I will be forever ashamed and humbled.” 

Shiro sank back into his seat, head lower, his entire body shaking. Keith placed on hand on his shoulder for comfort. 

“We were so worried for you! We heard you were pushing yourself to study and train beyond what was normal; your mother nearly had my head for that. Adam found out where I worked and contacted me whenever he thought you were going too far. You have any idea how many times I sent Akane to check up on you, especially after Dad died? We had no idea you were ill! When we did, your mother cried for months! She sent you letters but you always sent them back, unopened! And after they reported of your death, I—” he sighed heavily and covered his face in his hands.

“He was taken to the hospital for a heart attack,” Takara finished. 

A small gasp escaped Shiro and his head shot up. 

General Shirogane raised a hand. “Please, I’m not trying to guilt you into having sympathy for me. I deserved that.” 

“No, no…” Shiro said softly. “I just…I didn’t know. I had come to Earth a few times. I never thought to check. I had just…washed my hands from everyone here. When Keith saved me from the Garrison, he became the only person from my old personal life I felt I could trust.” 

Shiro hung his head, and Keith could see the twinkle of a tiny tear start of form. 

“Listen. I want to make peace. I didn’t get the chance to make amends with Adam before we parted ways. Our relationship was getting sour long before I had left on that mission, but I didn’t think to end it peacefully. Then I heard more from Adam’s widowed husband. They’d only been married a few days before he died…”

He squeezed Keith’s hand. 

“You have no idea what I experienced up there. You think having every muscle in my body deteriorate was bad? I was a prisoner for the Galra for a year. Tortured. Experimented on. Forced to fight in arena and bet on and treated as a commodity. My arm was removed. I was turned into their killing machine. I watched as allies— **friends** —were killed. I’d get into these panic attacks and become stuck in time during the midst of battles—I’d feel so inadequate as a leader. I worried over Keith’s safety every moment. I couldn’t sleep half the time. I almost lost him several times. I almost killed him—yes, Mom, the emperor’s witch had controlled my mind—well, it wasn’t **my** mind she was controlling, it was a clone of me, but all the same it’s the body I inhabit now—what? Oh, you don’t know…I lost my old body—”

Takara gasped in horror. “What are you telling me?!” 

“I…died. Then Keith and Allura brought me back into the body of my evil clone. I’m fine now.” 

General Shirogane and Takara stared at Shiro, stunned. 

Shiro took a deep breath. “There’s a lot that’s happened. Listen, I don’t want any more enemies; I’m tired of fighting. I don’t want to hate you, Dad. But you made me so angry when I was younger. But I’m willing to bury the hatchet. I just want a quieter life, a happier life, exploring the stars and healing the universe after the most tyrannical empire had sought to destroy it, and—” 

Keith squeezed Shiro’s hand back as Shiro’s words were cut off but a choke. 

“Of course,” General Shirogane said. “I’m sorry for how deeply my words and attitude have cut you. I was wrong. I cannot make excuses for myself. I thought I was trying to build you up. But I was wrong in my method. I made a terrible mistake.” 

Shiro hiccuped before the tears began to run. The general himself lowered his head. There were a few “I’m sorry’s” exchanged between Shiro and General Shirogane and they clasped hands. Takara leaned in and captured her son in an embrace. 

Sven whimpered, and Keith turned to pick him up, but it was difficult to move, and he worried about getting accidentally kicked in his abdomen. Krolia swept in and picked him up instead, cuddling him and gently cooing him back to calm. 

“Maybe we should stop by someplace to eat after checking in with General Hawkins?” Krolia offered, reminding them that they still had to meet up with the crew and discuss the progress of the giant robot the Galaxy Garrison in the Midwest were building. General Hawkins was quite busy and could only meet up at a hotel before heading back to Chicago the next day. “I’m sure everyone’s hungry.” 

“That’s a wonderful idea!” Takara said as her eyes sparkled with tears. “We can talk more and catch up. And—” she turned to Keith and smiled warmly. “I’m curious to know how you two met!” 

Shiro gave a small wet chuckle as he gazed lovingly at Keith. “It began when he stole my car…”

*

The mood over at lunch was far more pleasant than when they had first entered the limo. The restaurant was put on reserve to accommodate the large crowd, as General Hawkins had agreed to meet them there with his crew. They went over plans for the new giant robot, which would involve the convergence of three sets of teams: an air team, a land team, and a water team, and a land team.

The meal was splendid, and the more Shiro spoke with his parents, the more the tension dissipated until they were fully caught up and speaking at ease with one another. 

Seeing peace and calm pass over his husband’s face filled Keith with love. His shoulders relaxed as if the last weight from the war had finally left him. 

Chatter filled the restaurant as everyone caught up over the past few years. Ryan was still recovering from his honeymoon with Nadia, as she had wanted to explore the world. They were going to make a whole movie based on what they had filmed, and Pidge and Hunk were laughing hysterically at some of the clips they were sharing. Allura and Lance’s children, Alfor and Fala, were helping Sven cut his vegetables while Keith, Krolia, Lance, and Romelle kept an eye from a distance. Sven shared some of his plate with his plushie, which ended up going to Kosmo. 

Keith told Shiro’s parents about how he had met Kosmo. 

“If Kosmo wasn’t so much like an Earth wolf, I would have considered getting another rabbit,” Shiro chuckled. “I miss Snowball.” 

As time dwindled down to a few rounds of coffee and other refreshments, Keith’s attention strayed from the conversations. He glanced out of the window and frowned when he recognized the road.

“What are you thinking?” Shiro asked warmly as he wrapped his arms around him and gave a kiss. 

“Do we have time to visit my father?” Keith responded. He motioned towards the road. 

Shiro’s voice grew soft. “Of course, baby. Grandpa Ryou is buried in the cemetery across the street.”

Keith smiled and pressed the arms around him. “Then we’ll visit both of them.”

*

They first visited Ryou Shirogane’s grave, where Keith listened as Hayato and Akane reminisced over their father as Shiro kneeled before his tombstone. He placed his hand on the stone in respect and thanked Ryou for being there for Shiro, for his support and for rising him up; Shiro had told Keith so much about the elderly man with fondness when they had first met.

“Our first born is named after you,” Keith said, smiling. “Sven Ryou Shirogane. Thank you.” 

Next they visited Heath Koh’s grave. Krolia made a prayer for him in Galran, the alien words thick and hauntingly beautiful. Keith updated his father on everything, about Shiro, their wedding, and Sven—and most recently, the healing of Shiro’s bond with his family. 

It felt almost strange to do it, remembering the last few times he had done it. It was almost always while he was alone, talking about how much the world hated him or how much he wasn’t welcome, how much it would have been better if he just didn’t exist. 

“I’m with so much family now, Pa,” Keith said. “If only you could see Shiro and my kids! Well, one hasn’t come yet. It could be any day. Thank you, Pa.” 

When he was done, he got up and turned around to face Shiro, smiling. The sun was just starting to descend, casting a warm glow around his beloved. He was just about to make his way to Shiro when he realized his pants were wet. A wave of familiar contractions—not painful (the first wave almost never were)—spread through him. 

“Shiro!” Keith gasped in surprise. 

Shiro was by his side in a moment. “The baby’s coming?!” 

“I think so!” 

They were so far away from the Garrison facility or the nearest hospital. Shiro’s face had gone pale for a moment before help came in the form of a howl. Kosmo ran towards them, and in a moment both were teleported right into the Galaxy Garrison’s facility.

*

Keith awoke with a small ache down below. It was nothing compared to the pain from before that he was more than glad to forget. The pain medication had more than helped to knock him out.

Someone swept down to kiss him, and Keith smiled and shifted over to capture Shiro’s lips. 

“Ready to meet her?” he asked. 

It didn’t matter if he was still a little groggy. Keith wanted to see the child he and Shiro had created with their love. Shiro helped him sit up, and then a few moments later presented their bundle of joy. 

She was such a tiny thing, sleeping in a thick layer of pale orange blanket. 

“Isn’t she lovely?” Shiro cooed to him as he marveled over her. 

Krolia and Sven were also in his room, as were all of Shiro’s family. So where the team: the paladins, Coran, Veronica, Acxa, Kolivan—as they were Keith’s family all the same, all wanting to see the newest addition to the Shiroganes, the Captain of the Atlas and the Leader of Voltron. The three children were sitting on Keith’s bed so they could get a better view of the little infant. 

It was probably against Garrison protocols to have so many visitors piled into one room, but Keith didn’t care one bit. 

He was surrounded by family, either found or by blood. But they were all, each and every one of them, **his**. 

“Have you thought of any names?” Krolia asked. 

Keith and Shiro smiled at one another. 

“Yes,” Keith said. “Akira.”

**Author's Note:**

> Akira is Keith’s name in Beast King GoLion. 
> 
> My other fics have featured the same characters for Shiro’s family. A lot of the ideas between Shiro and General Shirogane was lifted from another fic of mine: [Recognize This As a Holy Gift](https://archiveofourown.org/works/15984551).
> 
> Although I usually opt for just Akira as their kid, I’ve adopted Sven after seeing all the adorable kid!Sven art and fics! <3 And why not have one child born in the cosmos and one on Earth? :D 
> 
> General Hawkins and his crew are from Vehicle Voltron.


End file.
